Teachers not most important learning variable

To the editor:

Again and again I read and hear that the most important variable in education is the teacher (Sunday Nevada Views, "Time to grade the teachers"). Yet no source is ever cited. I've been searching for that source, so please enlighten me.

As a teacher, I know that I am absolutely not the most important variable in student achievement. Common sense tells you that I'm the same teacher for both my low- and high-achieving students.

Yes, teachers are more important than race and class, but we are not more important than IQ, doing schoolwork, caring, having parents who care, and so on.

My own kids fared somewhat differently in school based on their work habits, not their teachers.

You want to evaluate me based on how my students do? Fine, take my top few students and evaluate me based on them. But don't compare me to the accelerated class teacher.

The Obama administration's "Race to the Top" initiative is holding teachers hostage. Not smart. Tying pay to test scores will just make the worst schools worse as good teachers flee them. Kudos to Nevada for recognizing that.

Betty Buehler

LAS VEGAS

No karma

To the editor:

Back in late August, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told an employee of the Review-Journal that he hoped the newspaper went "out of business."

After Publisher Sherman Frederick chided the senator, Las Vegas Sun Editor Brian Greenspun wrote a column in which he rebuffed Mr. Frederick and pooh-poohed Sen. Reid's comments.

A bit over a week ago, citing economic decline, the Greenspun Media Group suspended publication of the Boulder City News, the Henderson Home News and two other newspapers as well as some of its television programming.

I wonder if Mr. Greenspun has ever watched the TV show "My Name is Earl." If not, he should. He would learn something about karma.

Many thanks to Review-Journal parent company Stephens Media for so quickly filling the void in creating a new publication, The Boulder City Review. I've already subscribed for a year.

M. Dale Streigle

BOULDER CITY

No tip

To the editor:

Jane Ann Morrison's Monday column about lower hotel room rates attracting a different kind of clientele is not news to the service workers of Las Vegas. The mooches don't tip, either!

Ben Merliss

LAS VEGAS

Agassi's integrity

To the editor:

Here we go again. Another sports icon admits to cheating and lying. When can we expect honesty and integrity from what our children consider to be role models?

Andre Agassi will be praised for his courage in admitting what he did was wrong, but it still does not take away from the stupidity of his act. He has disgraced himself, his sport and minimized the efforts of all those he played against.

We might forgive him because he is such an icon and has done so much for charity and education. But how does he explain to his own children and those he associates with the importance of honesty and integrity?

Subhas Dhodapkar

LAS VEGAS

Ticket prices

To the editor:

Thank you, Steve Wynn, for having the backbone and integrity to stand up to scalpers and ticket brokers (Saturday Review-Journal editorial). These people are the jackals and buzzards of the entertainment world. They tie up the telephone lines and online venues, coaxing other people to do the same in order to turn around and sell the tickets they purchased for a substantial profit, leaving the normal ticket holder out of luck, and out of a potentially good seat.

I hope Mr. Wynn stands his ground in denying scalpers the opportunity to profit from Garth Brooks' concerts at Encore.

The majority of people are certainly in Mr. Wynn's corner. No one spends more than $200 for two extra tickets not knowing if his "friends or neighbors" can attend a concert. I hope other resorts will follow this lead.

Janet Hopkins

HENDERSON

Interest rates

To the editor:

Thanks, Harry Reid.

In his latest TV ads, Sen. Reid pats himself on the back for leading passage of legislation against abusive credit card practices. What the ad neglects to say is that the banking lobby was successful in convincing Sen. Reid and his congressional buddies to delay most changes until February 2010. By delaying the legislation, our "leaders" have provided bankers the time they need to raise credit card interest rates and fees before the new law takes effect. Guess what? They're raising them as fast as they can.

So once again, the little guy suffers while Congress tells us, "Yeah, but after February they can't do that."

Al Johnson

LAS VEGAS